It is oftentimes desirable to reclose a bag once it has been opened, particularly if the bag contains a food product which would spoil or become stale if the bag was allowed to remain open. In this regard, a variety of devices have been proposed in the past so as to accomplish bag-closure functions, as is evidenced from the following non-exhaustive listing of prior-issued U.S. Pat. Nos.:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee Issue Date ______________________________________ 3,112,542 Brunson Dec. 3, 1963 3,259,302 Rocchisani July 5, 1966 3,818,553 Parmenter Jun. 25, 1974 3,548,906 Murphy Dec. 22, 1970 3,692,218 Friedman Sep. 19, 1972 4,112,541 Tetradis Sep. 12, 1978 3,760,463 Schneider Sep. 25, 1973 3,912,140 Franges Oct. 14, 1975 4,200,962 Niedecker May 6, 1980 4,275,485 Hutchison Jun. 30, 1981 4,663,807 Bozzo May 12, 1987 3,462,068 Suominen Aug. 19, 1969 ______________________________________
As the reader will undoubtedly appreciate from even a cursory review of the above-cited prior-issued U.S. Patents, there still exists a need in this art for improvements in bag closure devices. Specifically, it would be desirable if an improved bag closure device was provided which included a unitary handle and bag-closure clasp which cooperate so as to effectively close the open end of a flexible bag without the bag slipping from the device during its transport by a user. It is towards attaining these needs that the present invention is directed.
According to the present invention, a bag-closure device is provided which includes a generally annular handle member and an elongate clasp member. The clasp member is attached at one of its ends to a side of the handle member so as to allow for relative movements of the clasp and handle members between open and closed positions. The other, free end of the clasp member and a portion of the handle member collectively include the means by which the clasp and handle members may be removably coupled to one another when the clasp member is in its closed position so as to capture, and thus close, a flexible bag portion therebetween.
Important to the present invention, means are provided so as to compress the flexible bag portion captured between the handle and clasp members. According to one embodiment, the lower portion of the handle member includes a truncated surface which defines a bounded region together with a V-shaped portion of the clasp member. The flexible bag may thus be placed in a gathered condition in the V-shaped portion of the clasp member, with the truncated surface compressing it when the clasp is in its closed position. According to another embodiment of the invention, an elongate bearing lug protrudes from a circumferential segment of the handle member's exterior surface, the bearing lug thereby effectively compressing (and hence capturing) the flexible bag portion between it and an interior surface of the clasp member when in a closed position.
The means which couple the clasp and handle members of this invention one to the other preferably includes structure which precludes lateral slippage between the clasp and handle members so as to thereby minimize (if not prevent) inadvertent disengagement, and hence uncoupling, thereof. One form of the slippage prevention means according to the present invention is a stake which extends from one of the clasp and handle members and an aperture defined in a corresponding position by the other of the clasp and handle members. Thus, when the clasp and handle members are coupled to one another, the stake will mate with the defined aperture to prevent later slippage from occurring. Another structural form of the invention which performs functions equivalent to the stake and aperture arrangement is an elongate tongue and groove which, when mated, prevent lateral slippage from occurring as between the clasp and handle members.
Other embodiments of the slippage preventing means include structure which forms generally V-shaped (as viewed in cross-section) outwardly projecting surfaces along a predetermined circumferential extent of the handle member. The clasp member will thus be provided with a corresponding V-shaped (as viewed in cross-section) recessed surface which mates with the outwardly projecting surfaces of the handle member.
According to another embodiment of the slippage preventing means according to this invention, circumferentially extending, and outwardly projecting, ribs are provided on the handle member. Recessed channels are also provided and are sized and configured to receive the ribs when the clasp member is in a closed condition.
In yet another embodiment, the slippage preventing means of this invention includes at least one pair of circumferentially spaced-apart flanges formed on a lateral edge of the handle member. At least one retaining flange is formed on a corresponding lateral edge of the clasp member and is thus adapted to being positioned between the spaced-apart flanges so as to bear against the lateral edge of the handle member on which the spaced-apart flanges are formed. In such a manner, relative lateral slippage between the handle member and the clasp member is minimized.
These, and other aspects and advantages of this invention will become more clear after careful consideration is given to the detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments thereof which follows.